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The Granny JJ Adventures: Guyana’s Daily Detective
You can be part of making…
In 2025, Guyanese actors and a Guyanese production team will be joined by an international crew to film MILK POWDER, CRIME AND COCONUTS – the first episode of the Granny JJ Adventures TV series.
We’ve put over a year’s work into making this one-of-a-kind Creole show ready to go. Why are we doing this? What will we be doing in Guyana? We’ll tell you below and if you’re not familiar with the book series – read on.
What’s it about?
Listen to the theme tune
Granny JJ is a sharp-eyed old Guyanese grandmother quietly living out the remaining years of her life in the East Bank Demera village of Soesdyke, Guyana. She’s happy living under the radar and quietly doing good around the community while helping to raise her grandpicknies.
But – a crime committed near her house triggers painful old memories of injustice – and something rises up inside her. She’s not going to stay quiet – something must be done!
She gaan ketch de teef man!
We’ll VISIT
Guyana past and present
The show will move between now – in a modern Guyana – and the 1960’s when Granny was younger – and where we will gradually learn what she was like as a young woman.
Of course, a lot of people are vexed she ‘s turned detective. Why can’t she mind she bidness? Friends, family, even the police want her to just go back to her quiet life and stop being so fast.
But she can’t.
She won’t.
Not while the Guyana she loves is in danger!
Who’s the show for?
Anyone who loves Guyana!
Are you a parent or grandparent in the Diaspora?
You can show your pickney dem what Guyana is like now – and some of the ways it used to be.
Are you in the Guyanese Government?
We want to show you what can be done for the love of Guyana in this medium. You’ve announced a film commission – support us and partner with us to give this great country a fanatastic TV show.
Do you live in Guyana?
Then you are in for a treat – see a real life Guyanese TV show with great characters; filmed in places you know!
Are you from Guyana but live overseas?
The Granny JJ TV show will take you back to your small days with Granny JJ’s old time attitudes and sayings.
Why should I support this Guyanese TV show?
Watch ‘Gaff wid Glenda’
Who are the writers?
We’re not pretending to be anything we’re not. I’m Joshua, this is Glenda my wife. I’m English, she’s Guyanese, born in Goed Intent and raised in Soesdyke.
Eight years ago we decided to write one book in Creole for the children of Guyana. No-one else cared about Guyanese children’s literature, no-one else (as far as we know) was doing it. But Guyanese all over the Western world picked up the vision and both Guyana Governments in the last eight years picked it up too.
Then we got bolder, and decided we want to do this on screen for the people of Guyana. Bai, it is NOT easy work. But if we do this – we all own it.
That is why we are asking for your support.
Based on The Granny JJ series of books
Written for the love of Guyanese culture
The books in the Granny JJ series are written out of a love for Guyana because our culture matters. They tell 32 stories of Granny outsmarting all kinds of troublesome people: teefs, bandits, bad neighbours and dangerous bus drivers simply because she hates injustice , and wants Guyana to be the best place for everyone to live.
Since 2020 the Guyanese Government Education Ministries have bought nearly 1000 copies for use in schools. Private Enterprise like Omni Helicopters Guyana have generously bought and donated copies to schools.
The books are also in libraries in London and have been featured at the Guyana Folk Festival in Croyden, at readings for Black History month, and Guyana Independence Day. There’s even a reading online from the National Library of Guyana in Georgetown of The Case of the Enormous Edos!
The Pilot Episode Script
The first pilot episode script drops us straight into Granny’s everyday life – and her first two mysteries – who is stealing so cleverly from the coconut stall – and how are her wicked picknies getting into the milk powder – every night without detection. We also learn a little about why she’s not been publically using her skills.
Set on the East Bank, it’s an authentic dose of Guyanese life. It’s good – but don’t take our word for it.
In 2023 it placed in the semi-finals of the Wiki screenplay competition. Here’s what they had to say:
In the 2024 BBC Television Open Call competition (for scripts) it beat over 4000 other scripts… and here’s part of the BBC’s email to Joshua.
It’s Time to Rise. We culture is we Own! We can show the world our best actors, best writers and a No.1 TV made by us!
Is not our country beautiful? Is not our culture full of joy, celebration and laughter?Â
Are we not One People, One Nation with One Destiny?Â
What is Guyana?
Guyana is not ‘Oil’, ‘Jim Jones’ or ‘bad politics’. (And we’re not Ghana – get it right, shucks!)
Guyana is not ‘the Caribbean’ (altho we curry de chicken nice nice!)
We are more, so much more than some people say. (Dey juss like fuh talk.)
We is ‘we own ting’.
We ‘buss a laff‘, we gaff we war, we love hard; we enjoy we food, we love we country. Anywhere we meet another Guyanese, we geh sooo excited.
“Wheh yuh fram man?”
“I stay in Diamond.”
“Me Aunty live deh! Susan Thomas, yuh kno she?”
“Yeah man!”
And that’s what we will show in this series with your help – the real Guyana. The Guyana that no-one bothers to portray on TV. We want to show Guyana now – and tek you back to yuh small days.
Big Up GUYANA!
What’s So Guyanese about this show?
- Â The show will be filmed in Guyana, on the East Bank.
- It’s in Creole.Â
- It features excellent home-grown actors who have been on stage on TV for years.
- Features Guyanese music old (like Hear Aunty Bess, Lili Gal) and new from established Guyanese artists.
- We are using Guyanese production companies alongside UK crew.
It’s time for we Guyanese to have a series of our own.
If we wan fuh rise, we muss do it fuh ourselves. Please give today.
Please support the filming of Guyana’s first comedy-detective episode TV pilot.
Click Stripe below to go to the donation section (rewards available!)
Who’s in it?
Colleen Humphry as Granny JJ
Colleen Bunita Humphrey is an award-winning actress who also loves dance and music. Her first stage performance was ‘Awe Society 2’ and she’s received a number of Best Accress and Best Supporting Actress awards. With many short films to her credits; she’s performed a voiceover for ‘Murendio’, the longest running radio program; and played the Obeah woman in the popular television series ‘Those People’.
Deandra Daniels as Young Granny JJ
Deandra Daniels (24), Degree graduate of the University of Guyna. One of the youngest members of the National Drama company of Guyana. Poet, actress and playwright, her real passion is the Performing Arts. She hopes to be an Academy Award winning actress some day and advocates for a thriving film industry in Guyana.Â
Who are we?
The Core Team
We are an international team who have come together for this project because of our love for Guyana and our desire to make this show to represent Guyanese culture. In the core team, we have over 70 years of professional experience in the film and TV industry; in the wider team many years more on both sides of the ocean!
Our plan is to complete the first episode; and then work with TV networks to attract the funding for the whole series. And bai, do we have a series planned for you.Orin Beaton – Star Wars, Indiana Jones, James Bond, Gangs of London.
Colin Codner, Oscar for sound on Gladiator, Bafta for House of the Dragon.
Joshua and Glenda Cartwright: Authors of The Granny JJ Adventures; screenwriter of Church Girl,  screenwriters, semi-finalist for ‘Renegade Spirit!’ in the 168 competition 2024, second place for ‘The Conversation’ in the 168 Screenplay Competition March 2025.
The rest of the international team features top professionals who have worked with top artists and actors such as Idris Elba, Rihanna, Drake, Bruno Mars and others.Â
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Granny JJ in the News
Joshua’s interview on Newsroom Guyana has over 96,000 views!
Also featured on…
Leh we geh involved!
Guyana deserves great TV!
Please come on board with a contribution, let’s do this together!
This pilot is set-up to be the first of eight episodes. Every investment from you helps us be more certain we can film this – we want to be as independent as possible which means we can make a show that is really Guyanese.
You can donate to making The Granny JJ Adventures TV show a reality simply because you want to see it made for Guyana. Guyanese are patriotic like no-other country – in fact, we believe that this show can be funded by Guyanese people.
It won’t take much – if 25,000 people donate $10 each we can get this made!
Can you be first amongst your friends?
Donate $10USD towards production and we’ll send you a 2024/5 updated digital copy of the first Granny JJ Adventures book to read with your family. We’ve gone over the original book and made it even more Guyanese! This book won an international award in 2021 as a children’s mystery finalist. There’s nine Guyanese Creole stories and mystery adventures in here as Granny JJ works to ketch de teef man!
We’ll also keep you updated as to when we are filming and when/how you can watch the pilot episode for a big discount.
Can you give a $25 donation?
Donate $25 to the production and we’ll send you the book, behind the scenes access to filming information, and digital access to THE GRANNY JJ ADVENTURES: MILK POWDER, CRIME and COCONUTS!
Invest $100 in the production – get YOUR NAME in the credits!
If you donate $100 we’ll send you the book, behind the scenes access, two tickets to access the pilot online (and you can give one to another person!) plus your name in the credits – see sample credits above.
$250 investment – Be an extra in the pilot – or nominate someone in Guyana to be in it.
We’d love to offer you the chance to be in our pilot. You may be a passenger in a bus, you may be an onlooker to an argument or you may be walking down the street. But you’ll be in the show and be named as an extra. And, of course, you’ll get the book, behind the scenes information and three tickets to share with others and watch the show.
Invest $1000+ come to the premiere!
If you donate $1000 USD you’ll get all the above and we’d love to thank you at the Guyana premiere which we intend to have at the Giftland Mall in Georgetown, if you’re in Guyana in 2026. Otherwise, we’ll make sure we show your face and honour you at the premiere. If you’d like to donate, please do so here or reach out using the contact form at the bottom.
Corporate/Brand Sponsorship
Calling all Guyanese brands! We invite you to help create media content that showcases Guyana and it’s talent. Banks, Sterling, Massey – we call upon all of you – big and small – to support local media production. We have branding opportunties within the show itself – scroll to the bottom to contact us.
A big thank you to Omni helicopter’s Guyana for being our first big financial sponsor.
If this series becomes as beloved as something like ‘Tides of Susanberg’ or the UK Guyanese series ‘Desmonds’ then you can always say ‘I helped make that’.
We’ll keep you informed with relevant updates by email and What’s App if you’d like that too.
So here we are…we hope you’re as excited about seeing this as we are!
Please click Stripe below to jump to the ‘leh we get involved’ section.
*Please note we are working to independently fund this production. If we are not funded to a certain point by May 2025 we cannot film in October. We write this to inform you that any TV production, especially an independent one, relies on being funded to a point where it’s physical production is viable. If we do not reach our funding goals we will re-evaluate what to do next and let you know. Some of the money you donate will be spent during pre-production to hire experts to help us achieve production goals. We are working hard to make this show happen and we want to say a big thank you for investing in it.
Do you have any questions?
Would you like to talk with us?
Phone/Whats App: 00 44 (0) 7458689415
Email: Please use the contact form below
or email thegrannyjjadventures@gmail.com
Facebook: thegrannyjjadventures
We’d love to chat with you and see how we might further this project together. If you want to discuss your brand appearing in the show (and brand sponsorship – especially Guyanese brands ) then just drop us a message.